Focus on the Music

Waves: the building blocks of oceans and music alike. Seas and songs are undulating, enchanting affairs – and this weekend, you will be immersed in both. Every day, the final pages of TML Today are dedicated to soundwaves: you will find information about stage hostings, an introduction to the Daybreak Session, biographies of noteworthy artists, indepth interviews with some of the greatest and, last but not least, detailed timetables for every day of harmonic bliss lying in wait. Be sure to study these pages well, and they will guide you on your musical adventures. Read on to find out more!

Live it Live!

As of late, Tomorrowland has been slowly returning to the roots of musicmaking with an increased focus on live performances. Even though the craft of the DJ is a venerable, wholly unique affair that will never be absent from the Holy Grounds, livesets are a welcome, explosive and fun addition that make our beloved festival all the more varied. With actual bands moving about on stage, unexpected twists and turns to your favourite songs, and a whole new level of interaction between musician and crowd, these are some of the one-of-a-kind performances you don’t want to miss.

What Is a Liveset?

Rooted in the ages-old concept of a band of people playing live music with instruments, influenced by the experience of electronic music production and inspired by the sort of groove-building invented by DJs: a liveset can be lots of different things in the world of dance music. Some live acts, such as Paul Kalkbrenner, simply bring a studio full of synthesizers, drum machines and a mixer onstage, and rebuild their own tracks live, like a one man band. Others bring an actual band with them, from drum kit to guitar players – Coely is a good example. Besides these archetypical forms, a lot of hybrids are possible. From rappers who appear on stage before a DJ, clutching nothing but a microphone, to modular synthesis wizards who let their machines do the talking, Planaxis has it all.

Multiples

Speedy J & Surgeon

Saturday | Core (Kozzmozz) | 19h00 – 21h55

Both active in the techno scene since the late ‘80s, Speedy J & Surgeon have attained a legendary status. (Just check out Surgeon’s ‘Magneze’ and Speedy J’s ‘Three o’ Three’, released under his alias Public Energy, if you’re not convinced.) Live, they combine Speedy’s regular live setup with Surgeon’s floor-killing modular synthesizer. MULTIPLES are guaranteed to lock you into the groove – and won’t let you go until the bitter end of their marathon session.

Dua Lipa

Saturday | Organ of Harmony (STMPD Records) | 22h30 – 23h15

Known for collaborations with Martin Garrix – on whose stage she happens to be performing – as well as her own massive hits including ‘Be the One’, ‘IDGAF’, and ‘New Rules’, Dua Lipa is rapidly gaining fame. This international pop star performs with a full band and is often accompanied by dancers – but the main attraction remains her presence and voice, both of which are an experience never to forget. Last but not least, with her new album in the works, you’ll likely get to hear an unreleased song or two!

Lil Pump

Friday | Organ of Harmony | 20h00 – 20h45

Part of the strange, disorienting new wave of hiphop called ‘SoundCloud rap’, Lil Pump a.k.a. Gazzy Garcia is only 17 years old and already a worldwide phenomenon. He rose to fame after posting his own songs on the online music platform, gathering 70M streams before being signed professionally and breaking through with ‘Gucci Gang’. His performances are as nihilistic as his songs: mostly, Garcia just raps over beats played by a DJ – yet something about his delivery works to make any crowd go wild.

Insider

Friday | Arch (Age of Love) | 22h00 – 23h30

Operating under a plethora of aliases, Kris Vanderheyden was one of the driving forces of Belgium’s burgeoning trance and techno scene in the ‘90s. He now returns to the stage with a live setup that has only been performed with a few times before. What he will do exactly thus remains a surprise, but with close to thirty years’ production experience under his belt, expect Insider to guide you through the best club music of the nineties.